1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible toy track. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible track for a toy vehicle having interlinking components, providing an angle to each track segment with respect to its adjacent track segments so as to selectively curve the track in three dimensions (e.g., up and down as well as left and right).
2. Description of Related Art
For many years, toy trains have been popular, especially among children. Frequently, toy trains are constructed to run along a toy train track. A number of different types of children's toy train tracks have been suggested in the past. These train tracks typically have sections of wood, plastic, or metal which are straight or curved and which can be interconnected by the child to form a circuitous toy train track along which a toy train can be rolled without interruption on the track. In one conventional arrangement, a first track section having a tongue at one end is connected by mating the tongue to a receiving slot or groove in a second track section, and this arrangement repeats for the length of the train track. This arrangement generally does not allow for significant flexibility in the construction of a closed loop train track. One problem arises in that the standard curved track has a fixed radius of curvature; it is difficult to create an interesting and closed loop when one has a finite number of choices of curved sections from which to choose. Other structures for interconnecting train tracks that have been used in the past have generally been found to be overly complicated or do not provide a mechanism for retaining the train track segments in a selected position of curvature.
Additionally, there has not been provided a mechanism for allowing a toy train track to curve upwards off the surface the track is disposed on or downward therefrom. Train tracks in real life are not limited to a flat two-dimensional configuration; rather, they can conform to the topography of land and/or be supported above portions of land on trestles. Tracks in real life thus include inclines and declines.
There is a need for a toy train track that is simple in construction and allows for flexibility in the connection between adjoining train track sections so as to allow the user playing with the track to arrange it in different curvatures as desired while maintaining continuity of the track sections and allowing the track to vary in height. It is also desired to provide a toy train track and corresponding vehicle that will allow the vehicle to travel upside-down on the track like a modern roller coaster.
One prior design that has proven effective for allowing for selectable two-dimensional curvature of a toy vehicle track is the predecessor to the instant invention, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,850 to Wa (the instant inventor) and which is assigned to the instant assignee, the entire teachings of which are fully incorporated by reference herein and from which priority is claimed herein. Yet even the prior Wa patent does not teach a train track that can leave the surface of a flat plane upon which the track is disposed and be bent into loops, twists, and other similar shapes.